GemThane Coating Solutions offers several Reducers for its polyurethane and epoxy coatings. This section explains why Reducers are used, describes the available Reducers and details which Reducers to use with which product groups.

In the Gemthane context, Reducers are high purity solvent blends particularly designed for the intended product and added at time of use to lower coating viscosity and enhance product appearance and performance. GemThane Coatings products are incompatible with many off-the-shelf paint thinners such as mineral spirits and lacquer thinners. It is critical to use only the recommended Reducer.

Why Use Reducers?

Reducers can play a significant role in the quality of the applied film of a Mix-and-Apply or PreCatalyzed product. As soon as the application process is complete and the applied coating has become tack-free, in general, the Reducer’s job is finished. Although Reducers typically do not remain in the coating, the wrong reducer can negatively affect it in many different ways, e.g. poor gloss, pigment floating, lack of adhesion, foaminess, sagging, pinholes, blisters, too fast or too slow drying time. All of these things can happen if the proper Reducer is not used. The appropriate choice and use of Reducer will create a smooth film that achieves its full strength and properties.

Today, no single compound is capable of achieving the desired result. A blend of several high purity ingredients must be used. The combination must be efficient at dispersing the binder system of the coating. The choice of Reducer influences viscosity, flow properties, drying time, spraying or brushing characteristics, and gloss.

GemThane Reducers

Table 1: Product Names and Attributes of Reducers

Table 2: Typical Applications for GemThane Reducers